
By L. D. WOLFE 












When tKe Pedagogue 
Falls in Love 


and Essays 



By L. D. WOLFE 

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COPYRIGHT, 1924 

BY 

L. D. WOLFE 


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PREFACE 


<* 

I offer this little volume to the public with some 
degree of hesitancy yet I feel that it is worth the 
reader’s perusal. It may be an odd combination but 
I hope that both inspiration and amusement may be 
gotten from it. 

If the story, “When the Pedagogue Falls in 
Love,” with its ridiculous situations and the 
“lassies’ ” letters with their crude expressions of 
affection succeed in provoking a few smiles, I shall 
feel repaid for my efforts. 

For the essays I offer no apology. I believe that 
true religion is not a set of forms and creeds but a 
part of life; that the home is the foundation upon 
which the safety of our national existence rests; 
that education is not measured by “varsity” marks. 
With the hope that these thoughts as expressed in 
these essays will be an inspiration to some, I send 
this little book on its mission. 


Blacksburg, Virginia 
August, 1924 




t 


CONTENTS 


<« 


When the Pedagogue Falls in Love. i 

Christian Ideals. 20 

Humanity’s Cornerstone. 27 

Getting On in Life. 32 

A Student Should Work for Development, Not 
Marks . 38 

Robert E. Lee. 43 

Winning the Race. 48 

The Conway Cabal . 53 

The Country Editor’s Citizenship. 58 

Suicide, the Pruning Knife of Civilization .... 61 

Envy. 64 

Opportunity. 68 
















WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE 
FALLS IN LOVE 


* 

3 N THE mountains of Southwest Virginia 
there is a little village by the name of 
Fincastle. How it was so named we do not 
know, as we have never seen any authentic account 
of the origin of the name. It is supposed to have 
been brought from the east by some of the good 
people who live about the village. As there is a 
town by the same name farther east, it makes but 
little difference where the name came from but its 
situation and about its people are what everybody 
would like to know. 

About a mile from the valley of the Clinch 
river which is one of the branches of the Tennessee 
extending into Virginia, is the beautiful little village. 
It has its handsome farm houses dotted about on the 
hills, also its two commercial buildings situated on 
the margin of the main road where the good women 
of the community do their shopping and the men 
meet each Saturday to talk over the last week’s 
gossip and surmise. what may happen until the 
next meeting. 

There are junior members of this gossip 
fraternity who do not take part in the senior con¬ 
versation because their topics run along other lines. 
In this group some young “spirt” will be demon- 



WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


strating how to make the beautiful ringlets of 
smoke from the latest brand of cigarettes, while 
another may be seen showing how to drown a gnat 
ten feet distant from the juice produced by his 
chewing on his new “plug” of tobacco. Their 
main topic of conversation is the bonnie lassies of 
the village (each one wants to know who has been 
“courtin’ my gal”). They tell what bliss it is to 
walk by the side of the “bonnie” gal and pour out 
the words of eternal love and excite the enmity of 
the other boys who have no sweetheart and make 
them wish they were members of the smart-alec 
fraternity. It is joy, indeed, to have the bonnie 
lassies look at them with a loving smile and see in 
that smile an assent to be a life-long companion. 

On a hill about the center of the village stands 
the church and little red schoolhouse side by side. 
The ground on which these stand is held in 
reverence by the good villagers. The whole scene is 
an inspiring one to the oldest patriarch down to the 
tot of six. To the older one it is the spot where he 
receives his divine inspiration, to the youngster it is 
the beacon light of knowledge. At the church the 
good villagers assemble each • Sunday, either for 
Sunday school or to hear the gospel expounded by 
their rustic and very pious old fashioned parson. 
The old saints are very careful that the younger 
ones have the proper instruction in the Divine Law 
as well as the secular things in the day school. 





WHEN THE PEDAGOG UE FALLS IN LOVE 

Among this assembly is always to be found a 
young fellow by the name of Rip Hankies whose 
greatest delight is to play a practical joke on some 
one. He takes in all the good instruction that is 
given in the Sabbath school with the other 
youngsters. He has more mischief than ill-will in 
his composition. He believes in right and might be 
considered a genial, jolly good fellow, though he is 
regarded by some of the ignorant, narrow-minded 
rustics as dangerous to the safety and peace of the 
community. He attended the school with the rest 
of the youngsters of the village under the learned 
and majestic master, Philip Moser, who is a native 
of the place. He was once known to have traveled 
beyond the bounds of the village, and that excited so 
much gossip that he never did it again. When he is 
not engaged in his duties as master of the village 
school, he remains quietly at his home which is 
nestled* in the hills about one mile distant from his 
school. Here he spends his vacation through the 
long summer months. Surrounded by all the 
beauties of nature (as he lazily swings in his 
hammock during the hot summer vacation days) he 
has a panorama before him that is a feast for any 
lover of the beautiful. Just in front of his cottage 
porch where his hammock hangs are flower beds 
with many colored blossoms. In these he can always 
hear the hum of the busy bees and the warble of the 
birds which make the orchard of apple trees in front 


(3) 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


strating how to make the beautiful ringlets of 
smoke from the latest brand of cigarettes, while 
another may be seen showing how to drown a gnat 
ten feet distant from the juice produced by his 
chewing on his new “plug” of tobacco. Their 
main topic of conversation is the bonnie lassies of 
the village (each one wants to know who has been 
“courtin’ my gal”). They tell what bliss it is to 
walk by the side of the “bonnie” gal and pour out 
the words of eternal love and excite the enmity of 
the other boys who have no sweetheart and make 
them wish they were members of the smart-alec 
fraternity. It is joy, indeed, to have the bonnie 
lassies look at them with a loving smile and see in 
that smile an assent to be a life-long companion. 

On a hill about the center of the village stands 
the church and little red schoolhouse side by side. 
The ground on which these stand is held in 
reverence by the good villagers. The whole scene is 
an inspiring one to the oldest patriarch down to the 
tot of six. To the older one it is the spot where he 
receives his divine inspiration, to the youngster it is 
the beacon light of knowledge. At the church the 
good villagers assemble each • Sunday, either for 
Sunday school or to hear the gospel expounded by 
their rustic and very pious old fashioned parson. 
The old saints are very careful that the younger 
ones have the proper instruction in the Divine Law 
as well as the secular things in the day school. 


( 2 ) 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


Among this assembly is always to be found a 
young fellow by the name of Rip Hankies whose 
greatest delight is to play a practical joke on some 
one. He takes in all the good instruction that is 
given in the Sabbath school with the other 
youngsters. He has more mischief than ill-will in 
his composition. He believes in right and might be 
considered a genial, jolly good fellow, though he is 
regarded by some of the ignorant, narrow-minded 
rustics as dangerous to the safety and peace of the 
community. He attended the school with the rest 
of the youngsters of the village under the learned 
and majestic master, Philip Moser, who is a native 
of the place. He was once known to have traveled 
beyond the bounds of the village, and that excited so 
much gossip that he never did it again. When he is 
not engaged in his duties as master of the village 
school, he remains quietly at his home which is 
nestled* in the hills about one mile distant from his 
school. Here he spends his vacation through the 
long summer months. Surrounded by all the 
beauties of nature (as he lazily swings in his 
hammock during the hot summer vacation days) he 
has a panorama before him that is a feast for any 
lover of the beautiful. Just in front of his cottage 
porch where his hammock hangs are flower beds 
with many colored blossoms. In these he can always 
hear the hum of the busy bees and the warble of the 
birds which make the orchard of apple trees in front 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


of the house their home. Thus surrounded by 
nature’s own work of art and music these must be 
happy days for the worthy pedagogue. A rugged 
path leads from his home to the village schoolhouse 
which he has traveled daily ever since the war in 
going to perform his duties as master of the village 
school. 

I would describe him as Irving describes Crane: 
He is tall, exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders, 
long arms and legs, hands that dangle a mile out of 
his sleeves, feet that might have served for shovels, 
and his whole frame most loosely hung together. 
His head is small and flat at top with large ears, 
large, green, glassy eyes and long snipe nose that 
looks like a weather cock perched on his spindle 
neck to show which way the wind blows. To see 
him striding along the profile of a hill on a windy 
day with his clothes bagging and fluttering about 
him one might mistake him for the genius of famine 
descending upon the earth or some scarecrow eloped 
from a corn field. 

His schoolhouse, as stated, is not a very large 
structure and is built of bricks; notwithstanding this 
dangerous fellow, Rip Hankies, it was left un¬ 
secured most of the time. This was too great a 
temptation for Rip to stand for playing a prank on 
the great Moser. 

The honorable Moser had decided that on 
account of the great increase in the school population 


(4) 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN L OVE 

and a prospect for more increase, he ordered the 
school board to employ an assistant in his school. 
Since he was the dictator of the village he had just 
the one he wanted employed. She was a young 
lady who was the idol of the worthy pedagogue’s 
heart, but it did not seem that he was any idol of 
hers though she sympathized with him a great deal 
in his troubles. 

The school became the object of some wag or 
other who would go in between school hours and 
turn things topsy turvy and play all kinds of pranks; 
although the villagers were deeply religious, they 
seemed to forget that part of the Divine Law which 
says, “Judge not lest you be judged,” and accused 
Rip Hankies and his crew of all of this. 

Philip Moser, not being of such superstitious 
disposition as the old patriarchs, did not heed the 
warnings given him, but it would have been well 
for him if he had. One morning in the fall term of 
his school he was up with the dawning of the 
morning, feeling gayer than usual, he spent more 
time before the mirror adjusting his high collar and 
necktie, combing his hair and making a general 
primp up. He felt as proud as a young rooster with 
his first spurs. It was now time for him to start 
for his place of work. He began to measure his 
steps toward the schoolhouse over the well worn 
path leading in that direction. The cool, bracing 
autumn air, the sweet songs of the birds, just 


(5) 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


awakening from their night’s slumber, made him 
feel very majestic. All of his grand hopes fell as 
he entered the schoolhouse door. There was but one 
person to witness the affair. He said it was mirth- 
provoking to see the performance. No doubt it was 
to see him as he gave the schoolhouse door a lurch, 
this upset a pail containing ten gallons of water 
which was carefully hung above the door (some of 
Rip Hankie’s work, of course). This ten gallons 
of water suddenly descended on his frame, knocked 
his hat off, melted his collar, wet the ground, causing 
him to fall, rip his trousers and make a “spluttering” 
noise like a steam engine thrown from the track. 
After he had recovered from the shock and the 
students and the assistant had arrived they were 
informed of what had happened. The two 
pedagogues at once issued a manifesto that all males 
(bulls and boars not included) within a mile square 
should be sworn as to their guilt or innocence of 
the crime. The conditions of the manifesto were 
that if any one should refuse to swear he would be 
considered guilty. The honorable Moser and the 
members of the school board thought and expressed 
the opinion that the guilty parties should be 
punished with death. It is clear what a dangerous 
thing it was to offend these dignified gentlemen by 
playing an innocent practical joke. Rip Hankies 
and his “pals” refused to make any statements 
before the village “square,” therefore, they were 


(6) 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


guilty. Hence they were expelled from the school. 
Since no direct evidence could be produced, no 
attempt was made for further conviction and the 
inflicting of the death penalty as the saintly (?) 
gentlemen desired. Since he was at a loss to know 
the real facts of the case the tranquility of Moser 
was greatly disturbed. He soon disappeared, no one 
knew his whereabouts. His disappearance created 
excitement for a while but as he was in nobody’s 
debt and a bachelor he was soon forgotten. 

The school was placed in charge of another 
pedagogue who probably was superior to his 
predecessor as he had had more chance to learn the 
art of teaching. He had been to the city attending 
college and while there he became imbued with the 
city manners and styles which he displayed among 
the rustic people. He dressed after the fashion of a 
real city dude and if seen walking about the village 
on Sundays one would think some fashion plate had 
come to life and was taking a journey through the 
country. He instructed the less informed on all 
questions not familiar to an ordinary mind. To see 
him standing around on this duty he looked as 
important as a guide post in the center of Squire 
Jenkins’ mill pond. Under his rule the school got 
along as well as it did under the former master. 

One day a young student, by the name of 
“C. Weesely,” went to a not far away city and 
brought the information that Philip Moser was 


(7) 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


there and had become a great orator and was being 
boomed for Congress. Some even thought he 
should be president of the United States. His 
position here was far superior to that of an ordinary 
school teacher that he was in his native village. 
This shows how small things may shape the destiny 
of great men, as this affair did of Philip Moser. 
Although it was adverse to his ambition in the 
beginning it turned him into his proper sphere. Rip 
Hankies says he is proud that he has the honor of 
being the originator of the scheme that gave the 
country a great and useful man. 

PART II 

We have the story of Philip Moser as he ap¬ 
peared as a professional man and his rise in the 
world. We shall now take up another part of his 
biography and go into more details of his life and 
relate his love affairs without which our story would 
be very incomplete. 

The most interesting part of any man’s life is 
his dealings with the fair ones. In making prepara¬ 
tions to write this biography we have had the good 
fortune to be taken into the confidence of Philip 
Moser, therefore, we have every detail of his life 
history, even his love letters are in our possession. 

In searching through his old papers and relics 
we found many strange, mystic things and facts. In 
looking up his family record we found he was 


(8) 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 

born September 31 (?), 1687, and the “sparking” 
time of Philip to which most of this chapter is 
devoted was between 1888 and 1900. From the 
record we learn that he began courting in his 
thirtieth year and quit on his fiftieth birthday. 
There may be some who can’t see how it was that 
Philip Moser was born over two centuries ago and 
was only fifty years old September 31 (?), 1900. 
This will be explained later. 

He grew up as most boys do, having about the 
same experiences that come along in any boy’s life. 
He did not consider himself grown up until his 
thirtieth birthday. He always said as long as he 
felt like a mere boy he never would think of going 
with the girls, for it was a tradition in his family 
that it was a boy’s place to play and run errands and 
not think of the more serious things of life. 

At thirty years of age Philip put away these 
childish things and began to think as a man. The 
first thing that occupied his thoughts was his love 
for the fair sex. When his love, pent up for all 
these years, did get started no fair damsel could 
resist its influence. Mr. Moser was a very ardent 
wooer and no more popular young gentleman with 
the girls of the neighborhood ever lived there. It 
is a mystery to most every one why he is a bachelor 
unto this day, but he is a strange character and his 
neighbors do not seem to understand his life. Being 
the village schoolmaster he was considered the 


(9) 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


biggest “Ike” in the whole country. When he 
began, no rival would dare undertake to cross his 
path of love. It would have been as useless as to 
undertake to move the Rocky Mountains on a 
wheelbarrow and dump them into the Atlantic. 
He always had many confederates to aid him in his 
courting. His whole family, down to his ninety- 
seventh cousin, always had an interest in his love 
affairs. This is, perhaps, one reason no rival under¬ 
takes to intercept him. Then the natural importance 
of one of his profession made it useless for any one 
to think of such a thing. 

The first girl Philip fell in love with was 
Aurora Abadia, a daughter of his neighbor, Abiel 
Abadia. She was a very beautiful young girl of 
eighteen summers. She was as pretty as any 
daughter the sun ever shone on. One day Philip 
dropped her the following few lines: 

My Dear Aurora: 

I have been thinking for some time of writing you. 
Your beauty has so charmed me that I shall always be 
unhappy until I have had an opportunity to be in your 
company often. Will you allow me the supreme pleasure 
of calling on you next Sunday morning at 8 o’clock sharp? 

Your true loving admirer, 

Philip Moser. 

The reply: 

Dear Mr. Moser: 

I shall be pleased to have you call Sunday morning at 
8 o’clock. You need not mind about the sharp part. You 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


may explain that when you come which is sharp, I, your¬ 
self, or time of day. 

Yours truly, 

Aurora Abadia. 

The description of Mr. Moser the reader will 
remember in Chapter I. When Sunday morning 
came he dressed up in a black suit, having a long 
sharp tailed coat, sometimes called a “scissor tail,” 
as it resembles a pair of scissors, being split from the 
lower end up to the waistband of his pants. He 
wore a little cocked hat, a large bouquet of red roses 
in his left coat lapel, a red silk handkerchief in his 
right side pocket with the corner sticking out about 
six inches. In this “garb” he mounted a sixteen-year 
old mule and began to ambulate toward the residence 
of the Abadias. 

He arrived at the appointed time, dismounted, 
hitched his mule to the yard fence, marched up to 
the front door and gave three knocks; this brought 
his adored one to the door. She greeted him with 
a cheerful smile and conducted him to the parlor. 
They sat in silence for awhile, each thinking how 
to begin the conversation. Presently it “popped” 
into Philip’s mind that she had asked him to explain 
what he meant by saying eight sharp. He said it 
meant that time “plime blank,” not a minute later 
or earlier. It was also a hint that he would be 
wearing a scissor-tailed coat which is like scissors, 
sharp at the end. Since the “ice was broken” they 
spent an enjoyable day. They, of course, had all 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


the thrills and joys that young folks have when first 
in each other’s company. 

We will now turn to the correspondence between 
the pedagogue and his lady love. We can only give 
you the letters written by the girl which may serve 
as models to some blushing maid who is having her 
first experience with that two-legged animal they 
call a beau. We have not the letters written by 
Moser at hand but the reader can about guess what 
he had written by the replies he gets. We would 
like to have them but they are in possession of the 
girls who received them and they all declared to me 
that they would hold them until the judgment day 
while I was raking up the material for this 
biography. First, we have the letters from Miss 
Abadia. Here is letter number one, it began thus: 

Kind Friend: 

This lonesome day, while all alone, will answer your 
letter which came safe to hand yesterday and sure was a 
welcome message. I have enjoyed our past correspondence 
but think I would enjoy correspondence by writting 
letters. Suppose you will not enjoy reading a letter from 
me. I enjoy your letters very much. I guess you will not 
expect an answer as soon as this. I never did think much 
of “dallying” about ansering letters. Excuse me for 
sendin that card by hand. That boy cannot read and 
I knowed it would not be seen by any one but you. I 
guess I had better close. I will be at church Sunday if 
nothing happens. 

Aurora Abadia. 

Goodbye. 

P. S. Excuse bad writing and spelling and take them 
for love. Anser soon and a long letter. Yore friend. 


( 12 ) 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


Letter No. 2. 

Mr. Yankum Moser, 

Dear Schoolteacher: 

I will drop you a few lines to let you know we are all 
well. Philip come up and stay all night. I would like to 
see you come up. You have left some of your clothes here. 
Philip, we are having some of the coldest weather here 
we nearly ever did have. Philip, Hop and Jack are 
having a hard time getting their hogs up; they have 
found some of them. Bell said that Bent had not stood 
on his head since you left and he hain’t set up with that 
girl nary nuther night, Ha, Ha. Philip, Madie said she 
would like to see you the best kind and I would like to be 
going to school if she could. Philip be good at home and 
better abroad, love your girl and serve the Lard. Love 
may wither and friendship may die, some may forget you 
but never will I. Philip I haint seeing much of a good time 
how are you and your girl getting along courting? So 
out here. Say, you are having a good time I guess. Say, 
I will have to close, answer soon and a long letter, your 
friend, 

Aurora A. 

Letter No. 3. 

Dear Friend: 

I to-day will write you a few lines to let you hear 
from me once more. Philip you are well, how am I ? 
Philip, I got your letter yesterday but it had been broke 
and I was awful glad to hear from you. Philip, if 
Hannah is married yet I have not seen or heard anything 
about it. I haven’t seen or heard anything about Findell 

B- in a long time. But they say big Sal and Rube 

have a just about quit. Now Philip I have not seen Jud 

R -in a long time. Say Philip I have got me a new 

sweetheart now. I sent Wells home a few days ago. His 
name is Ike Dykes. He lives in Coon Hunt Hollow. You 
bet he is pretty too. Say Philip, you must come and see 
us before long. I bet you will stay away until I won’t 
know you. I would like to see you best on earth now. 
You bet your life I will keep that ring until I die. Philip 
I am in Hiketown now I will have to close very soon for I 







WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


have got to go home. Well dear I haint at home now I 
am on the Dikes at Ran Bucks. I have been there two 
weeks, but I guess I will go home before long. So dear 
I had better close for this time. Remember well and don’t 
forget you have a friend in Virginia yet. So remember 
well and bear in mind a good true friend is hard to find. 
That’s all. Bye bye and a good long letter return to me. 

P. S. Philip, papa said to tell you to come and see 
him. When days are dark and friends are few I hope to 
spend them all with you. 

From your true friend, 

Aurora. 

Letter No. 4. 

I now write you a few lines to let you hear from me, 
I am well, hope these few lines find you the same. You 
told me the last time I saw you to write and tell you if 
anybody got married. If they have I have not heard 
anything about it. You said you heard that I was going 
to get married on New Year’s day but I never have 
married yet. Dear, you must come up and see us before 
long. I heard that you had gotten a month’s school. I 
guess you are seeing a good time now, haint you? I have 
been seeing a very good time but I would like to see a 
better time if I could. Dear, I heard you was going to 
come and get Haner and take her back with you. So dear, 
I guess I had better close for this time, but not forever I 
hope. So saying by, by, answer soon to your truely friend, 

Aurora A. 

Letter No. 5. 

Dear Friend: 

I to-day will write you a few lines to let you hear 
from me. Dear, I am well at this time and hope these 
few lines will find you the same. Dear, I have written 
you two letters before this and never have got any 
answer yet. And didn’t know whither you had gotten 
them or not. You told me to write and tell you if anybody 
got married. If anybody has married yet I haint heard 
nothing about it. Dear, did you get those letters I wrote 
you? I started them at Hiketown. Dear, I want you to 
come and see us before long. I would like to see you the 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


best on earth. Dear, I wrote one of those letters on the 
4th of January and the other on the ioth of March. Dear 
if you get this letter you must answer at once so I will 
know if you are dead or alive. Dear, I sent that ring you 
asked me to send you. So I will close for this time. 
Answer soon. 

Your best friend, 

Aurora. 


Yankum Moser. 


Letter No. 6. 


Dear Friend: 

I to-day will drop you a few lines to let you hear from 
me once more. Dear, I am well this time and hope these few 
lines will find you the same. Dear, I answered the last 
letter I got from you. I suppose you received it. I started 
it at Hiketown. Dear, you must come and see us all at 
once for I would like to see you the best on earth. Dear, 
I heard that you was teaching school but we never got 
any school here. Dear if you get this letter you must 
answer at once. Dear, I will send you one of my pictures 
and when you answer this letter you must send me one of 
yours. Dear, I suppose you are not married yet. I thought 
once I would get married and another notion beat that 
one. I thought I would wait until I got a chance. The 
sea may rise and mountains fall, but my love for you will 
live through it all. So dear, I will have to close. I haint 
got time to write much now. So answer soon and send me 
one of your pictures. So by, by—from 

Aurora Abadia. 

This is the last of the letters from Miss Abadia. 
It seems from the tone of the letters that he was not 
giving her much attention during the last few 
months of the courtship. We would conclude it was 
his fault she didn’t get him. These letters were 
written about the time of his troubles mentioned in 
the first chapter and his heart at that time was set 
on the assistant teacher and among it all he forgot 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


the dear little girl who had taught him to court. 
It appears that his heart was always set on the 
wrong one. He was just playing with the girl who 
wrote the above letters. He was in dead earnest 
about the young school teacher but he might as well 
have been trying to climb a tree with his feet up 
first as to have been trying to win the love of this 
assistant of his. For treating Aurora as he did he 
deserves to be a bachelor the rest of his days. At the 
close of this courtship is the time he left his native 
village and in the course of his travels he met 
another girl who it seems lived a distance from 
where he was located. Here we have a few sample 
letters which show how he broke her heart. She 
was certainly willing to marry him but he didn’t 
take her. The letters tell the story of her love. 

Letter No. i. 

Dear Philip: 

It is with much pleasure I try to write to you this 
beautiful Sabbath morn. I had begun to think you had 
forgotten me but was glad to know you had not. I wish 
we were not so far apart. It seems like the time never 
will come when I can see you. I am sorry that your 
business is so that you cannot get away. I only wish I 
was there with you and then you would not have to come. 
Mamma would not be willing for me to go anywhere 
alone. I would meet you if it was so I could but you 
know a girl cannot get out and go like a man. But if 
you will come up here in the spring you will not have to 
stay very long, and I will go back with you. Maybe you 
can get some one to attend to your business that long. If 
I were to go back with you I would have to leave father 
and mother, but I think I could do that for you, for I love 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


you better than any one I ever saw, and I think you 
could get some one to look after your business long enough 
to come; if you don’t stay very long and I will go back 
with you, if you want me to. I guess I will have to get 
after you for what you wrote to me. You ought to have 
seen me blush when I read it, I will not let anyone read 
the letter, don’t you worry. Of course I know we have 
missed lots of good times we could have had if we had 
been together but maybe there are good times for us yet. 
You asked me if I would care to “hug” a little with a 
fellow if you should come. I cannot promise you that; but 
I will promise you this—if you will come I will be your 
wife and we will not have to part. Now, dear, you must 
write and tell me when you will come. Don’t wait so long 
about writing for you don’t know how glad I am to hear 
from you. Hope you are well by this time. 

Your loving friend. 

P. S. Love is the golden chain that binds our sweet 
hearts together and if we never break the link we will be 
true friends forever. Write soon and a long letter and tell 
me when you can come. I remain, 

Your loving friend. 


Letter No. 2. 

Dear Philip: 

I will answer your letter I received a few days ago 
and was glad to hear from you and was glad to know you 
were well but was sorry you did not write more. I could 
read a letter from you all day and then not get tired. I 
wish I was there to go to church with you. I know we 
would have a good time, but Philip you must try and have 
a good time and if there is any one that you want to go 
with, don’t let me be in your way. I don t go with 
anyone now. It is all right to enjoy yourself if you can 
but I enjoy writing to you more than being with anyone. 
They don’t have any more parties up here. I haven t been 
to one since last winter. I am like you I don’t think there 
is any harm in young people getting together and having a 
good time. I do think that people ought to try to live so 
when they are done with the troubles of this life they can 
have a better place. I belong to the church at Acadia and 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


I try to live as near right as I can. Philip I told you in 
the last letter to write and tell me when you could come 
out here but you didn’t tell me and I would like to know 
what you are going to do. I am sorry to say that I 
received your letter with the stamp upside down and you 
said that meant to write no more, but I thought you were 
like me—put it on by mistake, and I will not fall out with 
you for that. I look at your picture and it almost breaks 
my heart to think that we cannot be together, for I know 
I could be satisfied with you. I am glad you don’t doubt 
my love for I mean to do just what I told you if you come 
back; so please tell me in this letter when you are coming 
for I want to know. Well, I will close for this time as I 
don’t know anything else to write. So you must answer 
my letter and tell me all the news. 

From your loving friend. 

Letter No. 3. 

Dearest Philip: 

It is with the greatest pleasure I try to write you 
again. I sent you a letter some time ago, but have not 
received an answer and I thought maybe you didn’t get it. 
Philip I think we ought to write to each other often. I 
would like to hear from you every week. Wish you were 
here this fine Easter morning. We are having fine 
weather now. Everybody is at work. Papa said he saw 
your ninety-seventh cousin in town last Saturday. I think 
he will come back here to live and we all hope he will. 
I have not been at home for three weeks—to town but 
once this winter. I will go next Saturday. Philip, I hope 
you will not put off coming much longer. You don’t know 
how glad I would be to see the one I love best and that is 
you. Philip, I hope you are well, this leaves me well. 
I guess I will go to the chapel to-night to church. Well 
as I don’t know any news I will close. Now dear you must 
write soon and tell me all the news. I hope I will get to 
see you before long. Please tell me when you think you 
will come for I would like to know. So write soon and a 
long letter. I remain your true and loving friend. 

This is all we will give of the letters. It is 
enough to show the kind of courting the pedagogue 





WHEN THE PEDAGOGUE FALLS IN LOVE 


did. It seems that his greatest failing is in making 
calls as both girls were all the time urging him to 
come to see them. After all this no one understands 
why the honorable Moser is a bachelor when he 
was all the time seeking a wife. There is something 
strange about it. We have been working on this 
biography for thirty-two years and we have not 
discovered definite reasons why he did not marry 
some of these beautiful girls he courted. 

We need to explain why Philip Moser was only 
fifty years old in 1900 having been born in 1687. 
Then our story is finished. One hundred and 
seventy-four years before Philip was born, there was 
a man by the name of Ponce de Leon hunting for 
the fountain of youth which he did not find. Mr. 
Moser found this fountain at the age of twenty. In 
this he took a bath which made six years just count 
one. The fairy in charge of the pool bound him 
never to tell anyone, if he did all benefits derived 
would be taken away. So you see, if he tells it he 
will be dead one hundred years ago. This may be 
the reason he always quit his sweethearts and never 
got married. He has been heard to say, “What a 
woman you love can’t get you to tell, if you stay 
where she is, is not worth thinking about or know¬ 
ing.” Hence we may conclude he prefers to live a 
bachelor one hundred years longer than to be dead 
one hundred years ago. This is only a surmise of 
our own. It may be right or it may be wrong. 






CHRISTIAN IDEALS 


<4 

Christianity is that high ideal of life which was 
lived in the presence of men nineteen hundred years 
ago, by that founder of the most perfect religion 
that man has ever known. Religion has been 
defined as “the practice of the presence of God” and 
every sensible being has a religion. A person who 
does not recognize the presence of God makes no 
use of his brains. There is nothing in the Christian 
religion that does not appeal to an intelligent being, 
it depends on faith and reason, the two great ac¬ 
complishments of the human mind. When anyone 
questions the doctrine of Christ I simply turn to 
“the Old Book” that gives me the story of that 
doctrine and find nothing that I cannot approve. No 
Ingersoll, with all his wit, sarcasm and brilliant 
oratory can turn me from this living religion. 

I call it “living religion” because I cannot con¬ 
ceive of it depending on creeds and dogmas; it is the 
soothing balm to the way-worn traveler on the path 
of life. Creeds are only guide boards tacked along 
the path that leads into the great unexplored forest 
through which every mortal is wandering with the 
hope of reaching that glorious place of the immortal. 
We cannot throw away creeds, we must believe 
something but no true religion can depend on them. 
If you were traveling along an unknown road and 



CHRISTIAN IDEALS 


you came to a sign board pointing the way should 
you stand and gaze on it and not follow out the 
directions given, you could never get anywhere. We 
cannot hang ourselves to a creed and expect a happy 
life here or beyond. I say leave the creed and act. 

I wish to quote an illustration as to believing and 
acting given by one of America’s most famous 
lecturers. 

“A husband and wife love each other. The 
husband is a good fellow and the wife a splendid 
woman. They live and love each other, and all at 
once he is taken sick, and they watch day after day 
and night after night around his bedside until their 
property is wasted. Finally, she is forced to work, 
and she works with eyes blinded with tears and 
the sentinel of love watches at the bedside of her 
prince, and at the least breath or the least motion 
she is awake; and, finally, he dies, and she holds him 
in her arms and covers his wasted face with tears of 
agony and love. He is a believer and she is not. 
She buries him and puts flowers above his grave, and 
she goes there in the twilight of evening and takes 
her children, and tells her little boys and girls 
through her tears how brave and how true and 
tender their father was, and, finally, she dies and 
goes to hell, because she was not a believer; and he 
goes to the battlements of Heaven and looks over 
and sees the woman who loved with all the wealth 
of her love, and whose tears made his dead face holy 

( 21 ) 





CHRISTIAN IDEALS 


and sacred, and looks upon her in the agonies of hell 
and his happiness is not diminished in the least. 
With all due respect to everybody, I say, depart 
from me with any such infernal doctrine as that.” 

Whenever I see a manifestation of love and 
devotion, whether it be that of husband and wife, 
or a mother for her child or man for his fellow 
comrades, I call it the practice of the presence of 
God for the Book that tells me of my religion says 
in plain words, “God is love.” 

Henry Drummond has given a lecture on love 
and names it the greatest thing in the world. 
“Summonum Bonum.” It is the greatest good; 
every beautiful and noble action of the human soul 
is prompted by it. Paul says in his letter to the 
Corinthians: “Though I speak with the tongues of 
men and angels, and have not love, I am become as 
sounding brass, or a tinkling symbol. And now 
abideth faith, hope and love, these three, but the 
greatest of these is love.” The spectrum of love has 
nine ingredients: patience, kindness, generosity, 
humility, courtesy, unselfishness, good temper, guile¬ 
lessness and sincerity. These are all in relation to 
life the known to-day and the near to-morrow. We 
hear of much love to God; Christ spoke of much 
love to man. “Religion is not a strange or added 
thing but the inspiration of the secular life, the 
breathing of an eternal spirit through this temporal 
world.” 


( 22 ) 





CHRISTIAN IDEALS 


In the life of Christ is included all these great 
qualities; in the common everyday life some imita¬ 
tions of these may be seen. The doctor who goes to 
the bedside of the sick and brings life instead of 
death is walking in the way, for Christ was the 
great physician; the preacher who leads his flock and 
helps them in their daily needs, for Christ was the 
great minister; the teacher who brings his pupils into 
knowledge and power, for Christ was the greatest 
of teachers; the humble workman who goes about 
his daily toil and adds to the world’s comforts, for 
Christ followed the humble trade of a carpenter; the 
farmer who goes out in the fresh air and sunshine 
and produces the food that sustains life, for Christ 
by His power fed the multitudes; all of these 
prompted by the spirit of love are doing the work of 
Christ, for His precepts are easily applicable and 
must be a part of all daily living. 

So much for the example and application of 
religion to everyday life; may I turn to the in¬ 
dividual’s experience as he travels down the rugged 
pathway. In every life there must be a shadow. It 
is just and right that we should have an ideal of 
perfection that is never reached. I am glad that 
this is true. I glory in the fact that I have com¬ 
mitted sin enough to have sympathy; the sternness 
of perfection I do not want. I believe there is good 
enough in every one to make his goodness over¬ 
balance his badness and that must be the rule of life. 


( 23 ) 






CHRISTIAN IDEALS 


We must not go about condemning each other, I 
have no right to condemn some one for a misdeed 
when likely as not I have done the same thing 
myself. I am a great admirer of Robert Burns. He 
had high religious ideals though he failed in reaching 
them and faced the condemnation of the people of 
his time. After his death, they erected a monument 
to his memory and his mother said, “Bobbie, you 
asked them for bread and they gave you a stone.” 
We do not even know the names of those that 
condemned the plowman poet but his name will 
live as long as the language in which he wrote. He 
had that one great quality of sympathizing with all 
those about him. This element alone constitutes a 
work far superior to the man who has many other 
virtues and lacks this one. The following little 
verse from Burns is full of meaning: 

Then gently scan your fellow man, 

Still gentler sister woman; 

Tho’ they may go a kennin wrang, 

To step aside is human. 

One point must be greatly dark, 

The moving WHY they do it; 

And just as lamely can ye mark 
How far perhaps they rue it. 

That moving WHY they do it, could we under¬ 
stand every human soul, we could be the judge but 
Christ says, “Judge not.” If we feel there are 
others not as good as we are it is our business to 
make them as good. This is Christ’s way of doing 


(24) 






CHRISTIAN IDEALS 


it. Here is another poem that expresses the thought 
better than I can. 

“If we knew the fares and crosses crowding round our 
neighbor’s way; 

If we knew the little losses sorely grievious day by day, 
Would we so often chide him for lack of thrift and gain, 
Casting o’er his life a shadow, leaving on his heart a stain. 
If we knew the silent story quivering through a heart of 
pain, 

Would we dare doom them back to haunts of guilt again? 
Life hath many a tangled crossing, joy hath many a 
break of woe, 

And the cheeks tear washed seem whitest this the blessed 
angels know. 

Let us reach into our bosom for the key to other lives, 

And with love for erring nature, cherish the good that 
still survives; 

So that when our disrobed spirits soar to realms of light 
again, 

We may say, dear Father, judge us as we judged our 
fellowmen.” 

In this “living religion” there is no condemning 
others, neither does it countenance selfishness. There 
is a simple little fairy story by Ruskin, “The King 
of the Golden River,” which illustrates the idea of 
unselfishness and helpfulness to others. It is the 
story of three brothers who try to gain the Golden 
River and Treasure Valley by carrying three drops 
of holy water across the rugged mountains to the 
source of the Golden River. Two of them fail and 
are turned into black stones because they refused the 
holy water to the fainting creatures along the way. 
The third one gained Treasure Valley because he 


(25) 





CHRISTIAN IDEALS 


helped those along the way, though he met with 
many trials and difficulties. 

This is the story as we travel along the channel 
of life, though we often get under the shadows, if 
we throw out the light of hope to those about us and 
plant flowers instead of thorns in their way, we will 
surmount the mountains of difficulties to the strand 
of the Golden River into Treasure Valley where 
God shall wipe all tears away. We all have our 
religion, help for the living and hope for the dead. 


(26) 





HUMANITY'S CORNERSTONE 


<* 

In the intricate fabric of human life the great 
cornerstone is the home, upon this foundation 
humanity stands. No young woman can have a 
higher ambition than to be the queen of a happy 
home. God has not given her a higher mission, 
there is no goal beyond it. 

Home does not mean in a real sense a pile of 
brick and mortar where the family dwells, though it 
may be gilded with all the finery that art and 
money can produce. The wealth of a home is not 
always in a palace. I know a business man whose 
business led him into some of the most palatial 
homes in one of our largest cities. He had an 
opportunity to observe conditions. It is a sad fact 
that he found few women in these homes happy, 
nevertheless, they had servants to go at every call 
and everything about them that money could buy. To 
them home was only a mockery, for faithless 
husbands were the rule. Such as this is not home 
nor happiness. It takes more than money to make 
a home. 

I can imagine a little cottage out on the suburban 
street of the same city, surrounded by a well kept 
lawn, dotted with clumps of blooming roses that 
shed their fragrance to the breeze. There is nothing 



HUMANITY’S CORNERSTONE 


costly but everything is beautiful and in harmony. 
Every thought about this home is as pure as the 
sweets the bees sip from the waving flowers that 
surround it. Here love is monarch, a smiling wife 
meets, at evening, a true and loving husband and 
cheers him until he forgets his day’s toil. There 
are no costly furnishings, no servants to obey every 
summons but happiness reigns supreme and a real 
home exists. Wealth does not keep real homes from 
being made but love must be king. 

Margaret E. Sangster, in her beautiful book, 
“The Art of Homemaking,” says “of all the forces 
in the world, love is the strongest and the true love 
of man for woman and woman for man, abiding, 
constant and faithful, is the most enduring thing in 
life.” The poet puts it in a more beautiful way: 

“O happy love (where love like this is found), 

O heartfelt rapture (bliss beyond compare), 

I’ve paced much this weary, mortal round, 

And sage experience bids me this declare— 

If heaven a draught of heavenly pleasure spares, 
One cordial in this melancholy vale, 

’Tis when a youthful, loving, modest pair, 

In each other’s arms breathe out the tender tale 
Beneath the milk-white thorn that scents the 
ev’ning gale.” 

This love, the end of which is making blessed 
homes, is eternal, holy and sacred, and is so ordained 
by the Creator himself. The Scripture reads: “For 
this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and 


(28) 





HUMANITY’S CORNERSTONE 


shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be 
one flesh.” “Whom God hath joined together let 
no man put asunder.” Those of you who make it a 
subject of joke and jest only show your contemptible 
ignorance. 

The love of a good true woman is the most 
gracious gift that God has given to man. Shame 
on him who regards it lightly. I would rather win 
the love of a sweet, faithful woman than to have 
been Napoleon, at the wield of whose sword empires 
moved. He thrust from his heart by the cruel hand 
of ambition the only woman who ever loved him and 
died a lonely death on the rocks of St. Helena. I 
would rather have had an humble home in that 
continent that he covered with blood and tears and 
have died in the fond caress of her who had lived 
and loved me than to have been the monarch of the 
world. It is a blessed thing to be happy and make 
others so, that is what the home builders do. But 
that imperial impersonation of force and murder 
did nothing but assassinate happiness at his country’s 
hearthstones. If we are worthy of a home the 
world’s success cannot be denied us. 

Show me a country filled with real homes and I 
will show you prosperity. As long as a nation 
keeps its homes intact it can never fall. All men 
who do the world’s work hold nothing above 
HOME. Old Scotland has given the world more 

( 29 ) 





HUMANITY’S CORNERSTONE 


men that it can be proud of than any other country. 
It is the land of the “Cotter’s Saturday Night.” A 
nation that has such homes must be great. 

From scenes like these old Scotia’s grandeur springs, 
That makes her loved at home, rever’d abroad; 
Princes and lords are but the breath of kings, 

An honest man is the noblest work of God. 

Without the thoughts of love and home all 
literature would be dead. It is the poet’s theme, the 
center of the novelist’s plot by which he holds our 
attention. Without the home we could have no 
Lincoln to say, “All I am or hope to be I owe to my 
angel mother.” The wheels of industry would 
move at a slower pace for the man who works with 
the greatest zeal is he who toils for the support of 
home. Government would be a failure for in the 
home we learn its first principles. There would be 
no soldier to defend the helpless for he who fights 
for home and native land no foeman can conquer. 
Religion and virtue would fall for in the home our 
highest ideals of life are shaped. Without home all 
would be chaos. Home is the cornerstone upon 
which rests all our hopes and fears. Then let us 
forever preserve that high ideal of a happy home. 

“Home, Sweet Home”—No song has thrilled 
the hearts of humanity more. The dust of its author 
may rest beneath the modest monument at Washing¬ 
ton City but John Howard Payne has lived down 
through the years and may the spirit of his song 

( 30) 





HUMANITY’S CORNERSTONE 


live as long as God permits the life of man upon 
this earth. 

“How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood, 

When fond recollections present them to view.” 

In the hills of my native state there is a little 
cottage. A place I called home. There centers all 
of my dearest memories. I would that my life had 
been so ordered that it would not have caused a 
single tear of sorrow in that home of my memory. 
My most cherished aspiration is that some day I 
shall find a sweet and tender woman of whom I can 
make myself worthy and who will love and trust 
me. My highest aims are to bring to her a clean 
soul and that nothing but joy may travel with us 
down the lane of life in the home of my dreams. 

When I have finished my journey, my evening 
sun is setting and the shadows begin to fall may my 
last feeble glance be on the face of her who loves 
and trusts; in that sanctuary of happiness that we 
all cherish. May the last note of music that comes 
to my ears be that melodious strain, “Home, Sweet 
Home.” 





GETTING ON IN LIFE 


Brother, art thou poor and lowly, 

Toiling, trudging, day by day, 

Journeying painfully and slowly 
On the dark and desert way? 

Pause not tho’ the proud ones frown 
Shirk not, fear not, live them down. 

Tho’ to vice thou shalt not pander, 

Tho’ to virtue thou shalt kneel, 

Yet thou shalt escape not slander; 

Jibe and lie thy soul must feel; 

Jest of witling, curse of clown, 

Heed not either, live them down. 

Hate may wield her scourger horrid; 

Malice may thy woes deride; 

Scorn may bind with thorns thy forehead; 

Envy’s spear may pierce thy side! 

Lo! through the cross shall come the crown; 

Fear no foeman, live them down. 

To get on in life is what most of us want to do. 
In the above poem the road is pretty well laid out, 
for we have to often live many things down. 

We meet envy, spite and malice on every hand. 
Too many of us are afraid and let it sweep us down. 
These are the things that hinder us from the out¬ 
side. We have vices within our own souls that 
cause many stumbles on our journey which give the 
envious a chance for work. To boast of not having 
these wild desires is not character building but to 
control them is. Character building is getting on 
in life. 


( 32 ) 




GETTING ON IN LIFE 


Abraham Lincoln once said when offered a 
drink of whiskey: “He who boasts of many virtues 
has many vices.” A person who boasts of no sin is 
either a fool or a liar. The sensible and true 
person is he who acknowledges his failures and 
determines to make the good in him overbalance 
the bad. 

We might notice a few things that drag people 
down in life, hence they do not reach the goal. 
Seeking after popularity, to be noticed and rated 
above somebody else, has made many wrecks along 
the line. So many people, in order to be popular, 
instead of developing like the trunk of the oak, 
strong, staunch, yielding to no storm; are like the 
twigs on its branches, they bend and swerve to every 
breeze that chances to rise. This thing is very 
obvious in school life. Some think if they have won 
honors in school, they have won the battle. There 
is something that makes a man besides a college 
education, though it is one of the most valuable 
assets. By working for popularity as the only 
object some people wear more laurels than are their 
due. Some of these popularity seekers win out for 
awhile but in the end they are destined for failure. 

I knew of one particular case in my own college 
of a young man who won next to the highest 
honors in an oratorical contest. The audience and 
the judges thought he was interested in his subject 
from his soul but the fact was he was nothing but 





GETTING ON IN LIFE 


a 2 x 4 plagiarist. I presume a pair of quotation 
marks would have scared him half to death. His 
entire oration almost verbatim may be found in a 
magazine article published a year or two before he 
made his speech. That fellow has the people fooled, 
he won honors in school he did not deserve. He 
wanted to be “it” and his vanity was satisfied in 
school but when he gets out in the world, up against 
the real thing, with such an attitude, in my opinion, 
he is more liable to sink than to swim. He thinks 
he is a leader by putting on airs and assuming 
superiority over others. He can succeed among 
weak minded folks, too ignorant to think for them¬ 
selves; they may follow his standard like a drove of 
sheep but the world is not wholly made up of such 
people. Some are able to distinguish between a 
highly developed soul and intellect and a vain, 
educated fool. 

One might think an educated fool a paradox but 
the colleges are turning them out by the score. What 
kind of an animal is he ? He may know a great deal 
about text-books. Perhaps he is able to solve all the 
problems of mathematics, knows all the laws of 
natural science and can speak a dozen languages; 
still be one of these vain, foolish animals. As long 
as a person knows a great deal and never finds it 
out he is all right but when he feels more knowledge 
than any one else can see, then he becomes an 
educated fool. 


( 34 ) 





GETTING ON IN LIFE 


Sir Isaac Newton, the most profound scholar the 
world has ever known, spoke the attitude of a real 
learned man when he said, “I feel like a little 
wanton boy wandering on the seashore while the 
great ocean of truth lies unexplored before me.” 
Men who come out from college with that sort of 
an attitude will “get on in life.” Those who have 
the knowledge combined with a highly developed 
soul. 

The colleges are being highly criticized for their 
failure to turn out men well equipped for life. The 
trouble is so many “know-it-alls” get out and refuse 
to learn anything, thinking any kind of honest work 
beneath them; instead of being willing to work up, 
they consider themselves worthy of the highest place 
right in the start. That is why the percentage of 
failures among college graduates is about as high as 
the successes. Here we do not want to depreciate 
the value of an education for it is one of the most 
valuable assets in life but we must get it in the right 
way and use it to develop a bigger soul than when 
we started. 

College men are expected to be the leaders. 
What kind of leadership is expected? Is it one of 
arrogance and selfishness? I would say “no,” but 
that kind that Ruskin would include in his idea of 
education—“Education is the acquiring of power 
which shall be used in blessing and redeeming 
society; in converting the desert places of human 

( 35 ) 





GETTING ON IN LIFE 


life into gardens of fragrant beauty.” The Leader 
of Leaders, the greatest one the world has ever 
known, was of this kind. Though He was meek 
and lowly, His great principles will never die. May 
we all be successful in our attempts to follow His 
precepts, then we may be worthy of being called a 
leader. 

Let us not consider whether we are going to be 
leaders or not but be in love with our work. We 
must have our whole soul interest in our vocation 
and not follow it because we have to do something 
to make money. 

Misfits are more causes of failures than any other 
thing. All of us are fitted for something. The 
thing we must do is to find the place God has made 
for us in His great plan of the universe. The man 
who tries to be a doctor when he ought to be a 
salesman, the man who tries to be a preacher when 
he ought to be a farmer, the man who tries to be a 
lawyer when he ought to be a peddler, the man who 
tries to be a farmer when he ought to be a merchant; 
all of these are failures, not because they are not 
good for anything, but because they tried to put 
themselves in the wrong thing. In choosing a 
vocation think of the work your whole soul is 
interested in and not the money end of it and you 
are less likely to be a misfit, you will get on in life. 

Seek not money, glory or power but give your 
best service to the world and you will receive back 


(36) 






GETTING ON IN LIFE 


your due proportion of all. Abraham Lincoln 
sought none of these but he had all a great nation 
could bestow. His whole secret is expressed in 
these words, “with malice toward none and charity 
for all.” Let this be our attitude and we can say 
with Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have 
finished my course, there is laid up for me a crown 
of righteousness.” 

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, 

And all that beauty, all that wealth e’er gave 
Await, alike the inevitable hour, 

The paths of glory lead but to the grave. 






A STUDENT SHOULD WORK FOR 
DEVELOPMENT, NOT MARKS 

I wish to present to you a subject which should 
be of the highest concern to all students. It is an 
answer to the question; why attend school ? All will 
agree with me when I say to raise our efficiency in 
order that we may become worthy of a citizenship 
in society of which we are a fractional part. My 
idea is nothing more nor less than a high class mark 
should not be a student’s only ideal, though it is an 
aim not to be depreciated, but development is the 
highest ambition any student can have. 

You ask me what is meant by development; I 
shall let Ruskin give you the answer in these words: 
“He only is advancing in life whose heart is getting 
softer, whose blood warmer, whose brain quicker, 
whose spirit is entering into living peace.” Too 
many people enter high school and go on through 
college but miss this high ideal, sacrificing everything 
to get an honor passing mark when they scorn honor 
to get it. 

Some students go through their entire school life 
using every unfair means possible to get a high 
passing mark then think they are getting an educa¬ 
tion. This is a mistaken idea; they are only getting 
cunning in cheating and making some people believe 


(38) 



DEVELOP M E N T , NOT MARKS 

they are being educated. Education cannot be 
defined in such terms as these. People must try to 
combine good marks with this idea Ruskin gives us, 
but these marks must be obtained in a different way 
from the way some people get them. Do not forget 
everything else and think of marks alone. If you 
do you will make yourself narrow and selfish. It is 
astounding how some students get this mark-getting 
craze. They will cheat themselves by peeping into 
a book in order to make a recitation; copy other 
people’s work and do all kinds of cheating. This is 
the wrong kind of education. I heard a lecture 
some time ago which had some fine thoughts along 
this line. The idea in this lecture was that we are 
not made criminals or go off in the wrong direction 
all at once but by doing little things that lead us off 
by degrees. That is just the way a person is drifting 
who gets the mark idea. 

He gets the “it” feeling, thinking himself 
better and smarter than those around him. He may 
make this go in school life but when he gets out into 
real living he will find the “big head” is out of 
fashion. He will realize that a few varsity marks 
do not brand him a sage or power in the world. 
Here is the true purpose of education, it must be 
your aim if you get anywhere. “It is the acquiring 
of power which shall be used in blessing and re¬ 
deeming society; in converting the desert places of 
human life into gardens of fragrant beauty.” Make 

( 39 ) 





A STUDENT SHOULD WORK FOR 

this your aim and take a C rather than a stolen A. 
Take it for granted there are plenty of people in 
the world just as good and smart as you are. Then 
there will be peace for yourself and the respect of 
others will be yours. 

We must not allow ourselves to get a ten-cent 
soul and a hundred-dollar intellect. A great and 
powerful intellect is grand and to be admired but 
without a great and generous soul that is ready to 
lend a helping hand to all humanity it will be 
dwarfed into insignificance. I had this helping hand 
idea brought to me once by two pictures. If I were 
going to interpret the artist’s conception I would 
interpret one as representing a person who works 
for marks and the other for development. I was 
walking on the streets of Chicago when I saw these 
two pictures side by side in an art store. They are 
very similar, representing the ocean, the waves 
dashing high against a large rock on top of which is 
a cross with a female figure clinging to it. One 
has the arms locked around the cross, below are the 
words “Simply to the cross I cling,” the other one 
has only one arm engaged and has an extended hand 
out over the restless wave as if to help some soul 
who may be tossed upon it. I need not ask which you 
admire most but which are you going to work for? 
Marks of selfishness or that broader development 
which offers a helping hand and places a flower in 
the grasp of the great mass of seasick humanity. 


( 40) 





DEVELOPMENT, NOT MARKS 


You have all had the experience of doing some 
little act to help some one and have seen that smile 
of appreciation. How good you felt! As you walked 
the streets the rustle of the breeze in the leaves 
above you seemed as if Apollo and Pan were having 
their musical contest there; the warble of the birds 
sounded like the strains of melodious music; the 
sparkle of the sunshine reflected beauty indescribable, 
every face you met had the reflection of joy, this is 
the voice of God speaking to you through the 
medium of nature because you are getting near 
Him. The more experience you have like this the 
higher you are getting in the scale of human 
existence. 

May we disdain all selfish aims and get that 
spirit which makes the world all laughter and joy. 
“Strike with hand of fire, oh, weird musician, thy 
harp, strung with Apollo’s golden hair; fill the vast 
cathedral aisle with symphonies sweet and dim, deft 
toucher of the organ keys; blow, bugler, blow, until 
thy silver notes do touch the sky with moonlit 
waves; but know your sweetest strains are discords 
all, compared with instilling laughter into a human 
soul, the laugh that fills the eye with light and 
every heart with pleasure; oh, rippling river of life, 
thou art the blessed boundary line between beast 
and man and every wave of thine doth drown some 
fiend of care; oh, laughter, divine daughter of joy, 

( 4i ) 





A STUDENT SHOULD WORK FOR 


make dimples enough in the cheeks of the world to 
catch and hold and glorify all the tears of grief.” 

Sow love and taste its fruitage pure; 

Sow peace and reap its harvest bright; 

Scatter sunbeams on the rock and moor, 

And find a harvest home of light. 






ROBERT E. LEE 

(a eulogy) 


<* 

It is not usual to honor the leader of a cause that 
fails, and yet the calm, quiet, dignified soldier who 
led the army to defeat and surrender, who rode away 
from Appomattox a prisoner of war on parole, 
was cheered by Federal soldiers as he rode into 
Richmond, who was the idol of his army and his 
people, has ridden into history the tallest, whitest 
chieftian of them all. 

Robert Edward Lee was born in Westmoreland 
County, Virginia, January 19th, 1807* As a boy 
he was kind and obedient and of a naturally religious 
bent of mind. As a boy he laid the foundation for 
the great character he developed. He entered the 
West Point Military Academy, where he took rank 
as one of the ablest of all the cadets. His great 
ability was shown by the fact that in a class noted 
for its brilliancy he graduated second. After gradu¬ 
ating he at once entered the service of his country. 
It may be said that he won laurels from every op¬ 
portunity opened to him. 

The great success of our army in the war with 
Mexico was in a large measure due to his skdl, 
valor and undaunted courage. General Scott said 
of him, “He is the best soldier I ever saw in the 
field, the greatest military genius in America. If 



ROBERT E. LEE 


the opportunity offered Lee would show himself the 
foremost captain of his time.” When the great crisis 
of his life did come in 1861 he was offered the 
supreme command of the armies of the United 
States and urged by General Scott to accept and not 
throw away the great opportunity of his life. Since 
his native state had cast her lot with the Con¬ 
federacy he did not hesitate to say, “Were the four 
million slaves of the South mine I would free them 
with one stroke of the pen, but I cannot take up 
arms against my state, my home and my children.” 
General Scott very much regretted the step his most 
valuable officer had taken, he never failed to say he 
believed it was taken from an imperative sense of 
duty. General Scott knew if Lee were placed at the 
head of the armies of the South he would have in 
Lee a foeman in every way worthy of his former 
chief and one who would conduct the war on the 
highest principles of civilized warfare, nor was he 
disappointed in his expectations, which were proven 
when he was invading the enemy’s territory. He 
was urged when on his march toward Gettysburg 
to resort to extreme measures. His answer was, 
“No, if I allow this I cannot invoke the blessings of 
God on my arms. No burning homesteads lighted 
his line of march, no innocent women and children 
were left with nothing but the blue sky for shelter 
by our army under this noble Christian general. 


(44) 





ROBERT E. LEE 


For four years General Lee led his army for the 
cause that was lost and might have been wrong but 
General Lee conscientiously believed he was fighting 
for the rights of his people. When the day of defeat 
came and the men in gray laid low their arms and 
with tear stained cheeks bade their beloved chieftian 
farewell, the splendor of whose character shone out 
as conspicuously in defeat as in victory. He calmly 
bade them beat their swords into plowshares, to 
submit to the laws of the country as the decision of 
arms had decreed that we have one country and one 
flag for all. 

His thoughts were now to heal the great wounds 
the war had inflicted. The four years of battle and 
the tramp of armies had crushed the wealth, the 
prosperity and happiness of his beloved South, and 
the fair plains of the sunny clime had become a land 
of desolation. Though the soil was enriched by the 
blood of her heroes (the only way in which they 
could aid in restoring the fields of golden grain 
which they had left four years before), the heroes 
who survived did not fold their arms and silently 
mourn for their fallen brethren, but set to work to 
restore the prosperity that had been crushed by the 
cruel heel of war. 

No one during these trying times showed a more 
noble spirit than Robert E. Lee. He had many 
flattering offers made to him which would have 
brought him great wealth, but he refused them all 


(45) 





ROBERT E. LEE 


and accepted the presidency of a college. This was 
a position in which he could be of greatest service to 
his country where opportunities offered for the in¬ 
fluencing of young men who were to be the makers 
of the New South. The whole purpose of Lee’s 
life was to do all the good he could. He sought 
his duty to his fellow man, he had not a single selfish 
motive in any of the acts of his life. This is true of 
all great and noble characters. 

For five years he followed his chosen vocation 
and saw the withered fields of the sunny South he 
loved reviving like a crushed flower bed after a 
summer shower. But the summons came much too 
soon for him to appear before that tribunal to 
which we must all be called. He found no account 
to settle there. He was consoled with the knowledge 
that the religion of Jesus Christ had ordered all his 
ways. He had a right to believe that when God 
passed judgment upon his life, though He would find 
him an erring human being, He would find religious 
faith enough that the verdict could not be any other 
than, “well done, thou good and faithful servant.” 

General Lee’s dust may rest beneath the grass 
covered mound at Lexington, but he is not there, 
he cannot die. As long as there are noble Christian 
ideals, the character of Lee will stand out as a 
symbol. Valentine’s marble figure of him which 
decks his grave at Lexington is said to be one of the 
finest works of art on the continent, which is a very 


(46) 





ROBERT E. LEE 


beautiful harmonization of things for it stands 
above the ashes of one of the noblest men who ever 
lived on the continent. Many other monuments 
have been erected to his memory throughout the 
Southland. All these may moulder and lose their 
luster but as long as the eternal stars shine and man 
inhabits this terrestrial sphere, the character of Lee 
will ever stand out as a beacon light to those who 
are looking for an example of noble Christian 
manhood. 

Some have attempted to disparage the name of 
Lee, because they differ with his political views, but 
such persons that try to besmirch the character of 
those who have different opinions from themselves 
and refuse to recognize the true worth of an op¬ 
ponent are nothing but mere parasites of humanity, 
not worthy of notice. They will be forgotten when 
the name of Lee will be resplendent with immortal 
glory. 


(47 ) 





WINNING THE RACE 

<4 

Most everyone is familiar with the myths of the 
ancient world. There are many beautiful and 
illustrative stories of humanity’s struggles. I shall 
repeat one of them as a basis for this essay. 

Atalanta was a beautiful and charming young 
maiden. Every man who saw her became fascinated 
with her dazzling charms. The fates had decreed 
that this young woman should never marry as it 
would be the ruination of her happiness. She was 
very swift of foot and she had such confidence in 
her ability to win over any one who would compete 
with her in a race that she proposed to three young 
men that if any of them could beat her in the contest 
that she would be the wife of the winner. All who 
failed were to be slain. This was a great risk but 
the young men were so overpowered with her 
beauty that all three entered the contest but came 
out in defeat and took the penalty as was agreed 
upon. 

There was another young man who was the 
judge in the contest and he, at first, thought the 
others foolish for taking such a chance. He became 
enraptured with the lovely young girl and challenged 
her for a race. She looked on him with favor and 
almost hoped that he would win out. This young 


(48) 



WINNING THE RACE 


man’s name was Hippomeues. Before he made the 
venture he appealed to the goddess, Venus. She 
took from her beautiful garden three golden apples 
and instructed the youth how to use them. The 
people began to clamor for the race to begin. Every¬ 
thing was ready and off the contestants sped like the 
wind. Hippomeues was getting tired and out of 
breath yet the goal was far ahead. He dropped one 
of the golden apples, this attracted the attention of 
his opponent and he dashed ahead. Still the race 
went on; a second apple was rolled out on the 
ground which gave the young man another ad¬ 
vantage. Finally, they came near the end; the goal 
was in sight when the third apple was cast out. 
Hippomeues dashed ahead and won the young 
woman for his wife. 

This is an analogy of life. We are all in a race, 
for what? Success. Then I shall name Atalanta 
success and the first three men are the large number 
of young men who fail in life. Hippomeues will 
represent the successful. This young man began 
with the first essential of success by appealing to a 
higher power than his own. Any one who has no 
reverence for a Higher Power (God) is doomed 
to failure. The second thing is preparation; he 
must secure the three golden apples. All of these 
are within our reach; they do not have to be 
brought to us by a Venus. We can go into the 
gardens and pluck them for ourselves. The gardens 


(49 ) 





WINNING THE RACE 


we are wandering in is life. If we fail to find the 
three essentials to win the race it is our own fault. 
The first one of this golden fruit grows over in the 
corner where all the efforts of our interested friends 
are put forth and inspiration from association with 
good people. If we make the most of these we have 
gotten hold of one of the golden apples that helps 
us to keep pace with the coveted maiden. The other 
two are found in the school of life. The race is to 
learn to abide by the principles of the Golden Rule. 
If we have not learned to treat others as we would 
have others treat us we cannot reach the goal and 
win the prize. The third one is the most important 
one of all which is the developing of a fraternal 
spirit. Fraternity! It’s the biggest word in the 
English language. The only reason I have any 
respect for Latin at all is because it has the word 
“frater” from which this big word comes. 

Fraternity stands for everything that means the 
uplift of mankind. I stood in one of the large cities 
of Ohio last summer and heard a speaker addressing 
the state gathering of that great order, the Knights 
of Pythias. In the course of his remarks he 
mentioned the different aristocracies that had sprung 
up in America; aristocracy of wealth, a social 
aristocracy and others but the keynote to his speech 
was in these words, “The hour has struck for an 
aristocracy of service.” He said that he was a 

( 50 ) 





WINNING THE RACE 


minister of the Gospel and that the ministry had 
always advocated the fatherhood of God and the 
brotherhood of man but they had put too much 
emphasis on the fatherhood of God. 

Both of these principles are absolutely necessary 
to uphold civilization but fraternity, the spirit of 
service to our fellows, has accomplished more than 
anything else can. It is the chief thing that has 
been behind all the movements that have lifted 
mankind from the state of barbarism into the line 
of progress of higher civilization. It is the spirit 
that has moved all the great inventors to toil and 
deny themselves the comforts of life in order that 
mankind might enjoy the fruits of their labor. It 
is this spirit that has been behind all the great 
movements for the relief of the suffering of 
humanity. In the field of medicine it gave us means 
by which surgical operations could be performed 
without danger or pain. It was for the good of 
others that a young doctor gave up his life that 
yellow fever might be stamped out. It was this 
spirit that organized the great Red Cross Society to 
follow the cruel heel of war to bring comforts and 
life to the suffering instead of misery and death. It 
was his faith in the brotherhood of man that moved 
the great emancipator to declare that man should 
not enslave his fellows and by this act made America 
really and truly the “land of the free and the home 


(5i) 





WINNING THE RACE 


of the brave.*’ The records of the past show 
evidence that selfishness has had any part in 
world’s progress. 

I do not know what garments of glory may 
woven for the world in the loom of die years 
I do know that selfishness will be no part of 
warp and woof. 


S* t sr S' g 





THE CONWAY CABAL 


* 

The Conway Cabal is one of the most disgraceful 
episodes in American history. A writer of American 
history must blush with shame when he finds that 
he must record such things. It shows the work of 
spite, envy and selfishness on the part of the per¬ 
petrators of the infernal scheme. On the other 
hand it shows the greatness in the character of 
Washington, as well as his altruistic principle; the 
principle on which all men who have amounted to 
anything stand. 

The principal actors in this dirty work were 
General Gates,- who was not new at such work, 
Thomas Miffin, the Quartermaster General, James 
Lovell and Thomas Conway, an Irishman, from 
whom the scheme took its name. We presume this 
is where the slang phrase, “A dirty Irish trick,” got 
its name. 

At one time it was thought that even Samuel 
Adams was in sympathy with the movement. At 
this time there was a breach in the friendship of 
Adams and Hancock which was never restored. 
Hancock was vain and somewhat selfish and desired 
for himself the place of Washington. In view of 
this fact we have not much right to say Samuel 
Adams gave any encouragement to the plan for the 
removal of Washington. Sometimes men like 
Adams would lose their patience and say things a 




THE CONWAY CABAL 


little unpleasant about the management of affairs 
but such men never stoop to such dirty tricks as 
Gates was hatching up. 

Sometimes a clique such as this run their schemes 
over pretty decent people as this low down scheme 
seemed to “fly high” for awhile. The first effects 
of this work was seen in Congress in November, 
1777, when Gates w r as made President of the Board 
of War, Miffin a member of the Board, and Conway 
Inspector-General of the Army. This looks as if 
Congress was about to turn against Washington. 
He saw it himself and advised Congress that he 
would be compelled to resign if they persisted in 
throwing obstacles in his way. They thought that 
they were going to make Washington’s place too 
hard for him and get him out and some of their 
crowd in. They began to circulate lies and send 
anonymous letters. This is always the means 
vain and envious sneaks use in trying to promote 
themselves and down others. In this plot it is easy 
to see that it is the work of envy against the great 
and noble character of Washington. He had not 
done any of the plotters any harm and had given 
each his dues but they were of such a low type of 
humanity they hated to see any one esteemed more 
than themselves by the people. 

Some of their work began to come to the ears of 
Washington. Gates happened to show one of his 
letters to his confidant and aid-de-camp, Wilkinson. 


(54) 





THE CONWAY CABAL 


This man was sent to York with the dispatches of 
Burgoyne’s surrender and he fell in with some of 
Lord Stirling’s staff who let the “cat out of the 
bag.” One day while he was intoxicated in the 
camp he disclosed enough until Washington got 
hold of the plot and quickly informed Conway of 
what he knew. 

This was a bomb in the camp of the rascals and 
one time a drunk resulted in good. Gates tried to 
make himself innocent and involve all the others 
and appear as a saint. Even his friend, Wilkinson, 
was turned on but the schemer had over-reached 
himself. With all of his lying and tricking he found 
himself caught in his own trap and involved in a 
duel with Wilkinson. This duel was avoided just 
at the moment that they were about to begin shoot¬ 
ing at each other. Gates asked for and obtained an 
interview with his opponent in which he made so 
many apologies and denials that Wilkinson gave up 
the duel. He resigned his position on the Board of 
War. 

At this point the tide began to turn. These 
revelations strengthened Washington in proportion 
as they showed the malice and duplicity of his 
enemies. They tried one more scheme by publish¬ 
ing a pamphlet purporting to have been written by 
Washington showing him the traitor to the 
American cause. This was a miserable failure as 
all the rest of the infernal work. The only effect 


(55) 





THE CONWAY CABAL 


of this pamphlet was to strengthen Washington 
still more while throwing further discredit on the 
Cabal. 

Congress began to see the real character of Gates 
and he found himself in the same place he had hoped 
to place Washington. Such work may seem to 
prosper for awhile but in the end it must come down. 
It cannot combat true worth and character. Conway 
became indignant with Congress over some fancied 
slight and sent a conditioned threat of resignation, 
which, to his unspeakable amazement, was accepted 
unconditionally. All the rest of the plotters lowered 
and humiliated themselves. The great and noble 
soul of Washington moved on. He was not filled 
with malice, envy and self promotion. He had the 
welfare of his countrymen at heart which is one of 
the qualities all great men have. That is why 
Washington stands on a par with any great 
character recorded on the pages of history. Had he 
resorted to the same plan of combating the Cabal 
that they used against him he would have lowered 
himself and have ruined the whole army. The 
American Revolution might have been lost. 

Had Lord George Germain known the work¬ 
ings of the Conway Cabal, his hope of the wearing 
out of the American cause would have been greatly 
strengthened. There really was more danger in 
such intrigues than in an exhausted treasury, half 
starved army, and defeat on the field. 


(56) 





THE CONWAY CABAL 


We, as American citizens, should get more than 
the simple facts out of this. We should get a real 
lesson from it and learn to hate and despise any such 
scheming. We should understand that such methods 
may succeed for awhile but will eventually fail. 
Let us admire the great principles followed by 
Washington and realize that they triumphed in this 
case as they always will. 

Parallel cases may be seen to-day and govern¬ 
ment circles are not void of them. We may have 
to face them wherever we go. Then let this ex¬ 
ample in American history be a warning to us. 


(57) 






THE COUNTRY EDITOR’S 
CITIZENSHIP 


* 

The country editor may not be an accumulator 
of wealth but he can fill a far more worthy place 
in his community than the seeking of filthy lucre. 
No other man has such a chance as the editor for 
getting a grip on public sentiment. He who con¬ 
trols public sentiment is king. This is accomplished 
not by ruling people but by teaching and leading 
them. 

It is every citizen’s duty to give his community 
and state the best things he can for the uplift of his 
fellows. The editor’s opportunities are far superior 
to men of other professions. His field is not a 
narrow one for he can enter into all the activities 
of the community. In politics he has a power, also 
in the church, and all the social activities; from no 
part of the field of community work is he barred. 
Then let him survey his work and get into the 
harness and see that humanity is better off by his 
being a member of its family. 

Owing to the many avenues for service that are 
open to the editor his duties are in proportion. 
Then he must make his work so that it will be of 
the greatest service to his country. In religious lines 
he can do almost as much as the minister to move 
along the work of the church; because he is able to 


(58) 



THE COUNTRY EDITOR’S CITIZENSHIP 


reach people that the preacher cannot. He need not 
be direct but he can make the sentiments expressed 
in his paper such that his readers will be made to 
have a loyal respect for religion without realizing 
how they came to such opinions. Here is a great 
opportunity and a duty of the editor for making the 
world better. 

In the field of politics is where most editors 
wield their influence for good or bad. This is, 
perhaps, the greatest place for righteous influence. 
Here an editor should stand for clean work and 
fight corruption wherever he finds it. He will find 
much of it, then it is his duty to his state to see that 
the field is cleared of rubbish in order that the 
taxpayer may get value received for the money he 
pays for the administration of government. If an 
editor in his lifetime can leave a heritage of pure 
politics to his community his work will not have been 
vanity. In this modern age of mad rush for money, 
regardless of principle, we need men more than ever 
before who stand for justice and honor above 
everything else. The editors of our newspapers for 
the coming generation will be able to control public 
sentiment in such a way that it will be determined 
whether our nation shall go on grand and glorious 
or fall from its internal rottenness as did the ancient 
empire of Rome. Then let them see their duty and 
go into the fight to win for righteousness. 

The editor is not narrowed down to the two 





THE COUNTRY EDITOR’S CITIZENSHIP 

above mentioned community interests but every 
social movement his state or community may feel is 
his opportunity to stand for the right. Among these 
are moral purity, justice for the working classes, 
and the manipulations of wealth. If the editor 
stands by his post and fights for a square deal and 
justice for all; the influence of no one will be felt 
farther for the glory of the state and the advance¬ 
ment of mankind. 


( 60 ) 





SUICIDE, THE PRUNING KNIFE 
OF CIVILIZATION 


* 

In everything but the human race, all that is 
not sound or is of such a nature as to injure the 
parts about it is pruned out and cast away. Surely 
among the works of the Creator which human life 
is rightly employed in perfecting and beautifying, 
the first in importance is man himself. The best 
way for this to be done is to convince the worthless 
and vicious that humanity is better off without them. 
Let’s urge them to apply the “pruning knife” in 
order that the sea of life may not be contaminated 
by their existence. 

If we wish to produce the best of fruit, what do 
we do? We go to the orchard and take away every 
limb that shows decay and we want everything that 
is left to be the best. It is the same in everything 
if we expect the best. Every farmer and stock 
raiser knows he must use the most perfect and best 
of his herd and keep the diseased and scrubs away if 
he gets the best results; otherwise his herd will 
degenerate and become worthless. The human race 
which should be the most perfect is mixed with the 
weak and defective more than any other of God’s 
creation. Many remedies have been offered, none 
have worked well. Perhaps it is harder to get 
humanity to apply things for its own good. The 



SUICIDE, THE PRUNING KNIFE OF CIVILIZATION 


greatest danger lies in the existence of degenerates 
who feel that they have as good right as the perfect 
to stay in life. If these people would realize that 
their lives are worth nothing to themselves and a 
menace to society and apply the pruning knife, it 
would be the greatest blessing that ever came to 
humanity. 

There are people living so vile and loathsome 
that if they were cattle, the health authorities 
would order them killed and have their carcasses 
buried away out of reach of the buzzards. So much 
for the fact that we have a way of making perfect 
the lower order of animals although in relation to 
our fellowman we are commanded: “Thou shalt 
not kill.” This does not apply in the case of one’s 
self. So let the degenerate take himself out of the 
way and feel that he is doing an act for the greatest 
benefit of his fellowman and best for himself. 

It is much better when a man is so fast in the 
mire of sin that he cannot get out, that he should 
be taken out of the way than to live and produce 
a generation of vipers. The sins of the parents are 
visited on the fourth and fifth generations. Christ 
says that every tree that bringeth forth not good 
fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. 

I do not claim that a man who has to face 
obstacles or has committed a few errors should be 
so cowardly as to destroy himself. The great mass 
of humanity should not be defiled by the low 


( 62 ) 





SUICIDE, THE PRUNING KNIFE OF CIVILIZATION 


villians who cannot or will not do anything but 
hover around the cesspools of vice. They are 
producing more like themselves and this vileness 
and rottenness gets out where it should not be. So 
let us strike the root of it and let the generators of 
it move out of the way. These are constantly draw¬ 
ing others to such places. Christ speaks of such 
people thus: “It were better that a mill-stone were 
hanged about his neck and he were drowned in the 
depths of the sea.” These degenerates must destroy 
themselves or they will destroy the race. This has 
been true of the great civilizations of the past. 
Learned Greece and mighty Rome fell not because 
of an outside foe but because of the vileness of their 
own citizens. The same thing is gnawing at the 
vitals of our own country. Let us persuade the 
unworthy if they cannot do something for them¬ 
selves to save humanity from a mighty fall. 

The Bible shows that if we do not cleanse our¬ 
selves that God must do it. He brought the flood 
upon the earth because the wicked had so con¬ 
taminated the righteous that the worthy ones were 
so few the world could not go on. This is also 
shown by the ancient cities of the plains, Sodom and 
Gomorrah, which brought down the wrath of 
Heaven. God teaches and demands that the race 
must be pure or it cannot exist; then let it keep 
itself so that the hand of Providence will not be 
brought against it. 


( 63 ) 






ENVY 


<* 

Envy is the greatest foe to righteous conduct. 
It is the murderer’s first passion and the slanderer’s 
beginning. The murderer first envys and then kills; 
the slanderer envies, then does something to injure 
the envied one’s reputation. Envy has been in the 
human heart ever since the beginning of the race. 
The first murder was the result of envy, when Cain 
slew Abel. The world was too small for two 
brothers when one was envied. We have many 
examples set forth in the Bible of envy and its 
results. The most striking one is that of Saul’s 
envy of David. The young shepherd boy had never 
done the king a single wrong but Saul did every¬ 
thing in his power to destroy him, and for no other 
reason than that David was a better man and was 
growing more popular among the people than him¬ 
self. David was not an envious man, and is regarded 
as one of the greatest of the Israelite kings. If Saul, 
instead of envying him had acknowledged and re¬ 
joiced in his greatest successes, he would have been 
held in everlasting honor by all Bible students. 
Envy cannot thrive in the heart of one who is 
willing to acknowledge good in others. Rejoice in 
the success of those with whom you associate. 
Earnestly desire the good opinion of others. 


( 64 ) 



ENVY 


Be interested in the helping and uplifting of 
mankind instead of tearing down and making things 
unpleasant for everybody. When one finds himself 
the object of envy he finds himself in the place of 
hard trials; but it is possible to extricate ourselves 
from vicious attacks that come upon us by righteous 
living. Of course, it is harder to do right and be 
good when under suspicion, but a brave soul can do 
it, and be better for the adverse circumstances. 
Shakespeare tells us that though “We may be as 
chaste as ice, as pure as snow, we cannot escape 
calumny.” Mutius, a citizen of Rome, was so envious 
that when Publius saw him looking very sad he said, 
“Either some great evil has happened to Mutius or 
some great good to another.” Dionysius, Plutarch 
tells us, was so envious that he punished Philoxemius 
because he was a better singer, and Plato because he 
was a wiser philosopher. Of the same type was the 
Athenian who voted to banish Aristides because he 
was tired of hearing him called the “Just.” We do 
not have to search the Bible or the pages of ancient 
history to know people infected with the microbe of 
envy. Such people come under our observation in 
these modern times. 

Envious people are parasites on society, who seek 
to destroy everyone but themselves. Envy is the 
devil’s best friend and Christianity’s greatest foe. 
No one who is envious can live to make the world 
better, but always makes it worse. Anyone who has 


(65) 






ENVY 


lived and not made some life brighter, nor lifted a 
single burden, such a life is vanity. If we cultivate 
envy we cannot make others happy, but will make 
more numerous the thorns in their pathway. We 
should have a higher purpose in life. If some one 
surpasses us a hundred times, we should help him on 
to the goal he seeks rather than let an envious pirate 
control us and try to umpire. As on a railway train, 
the backing of a train on the next track seems to 
make our train go forward, so some seem to think 
they are advancing themselves by lowering the 
reputation of others. These envious ones are not 
even standing still but are pushing themselves back 
while attempting to push others backward. 

Let us rather let in the love for all mankind that 
drives out envy as light drives out darkness. When 
David was forced to acknowledge that Saul had a 
deep seated envy against him, he did not try to break 
it down by being as mean as Saul, but just went on 
doing his duty faithfully and well so that all Israel 
and Judah loved him. We need more Davids and 
fewer Sauls. Envy is the greatest antagonist to the 
Christian religion. If the devil is ever successful in 
striking religion a fatal blow, envy will be his most 
highly prized weapon. The results of envy and the 
teachings of Christ are the two most opposite things 
we can imagine. Enviousness means to injure, make 
some one unhappy, to besmirch a character, to put 
as many thorns in life’s pathway as can be put there. 


(66) 





ENVY 


Christ teaches us to make the world better, to help 
others to a higher plane of living, to scatter sunshine 
around us and to injure no one. He who claims the 
name of Christian and is envious is a liar and the 
truth is not in him. To such I would say, “Get 
thee behind me, Satan.” 


( 67 ) 





OPPORTUNITY 


<* 

In my vision of the struggle of humanity for that 
goal we call success, I saw in the fog of the uncertain 
future men striving to gain something that would 
advance them in life. I saw in the midst of the 
throng a brave fellow struck with more adversity 
than it seemed that a human soul could bear. A 
faint hearted, shiftless fellow saw the difficulty of 
the other and thought if he had such talent and 
chance to win in life how grandly he would march 
on. With this thought he fell and was seen no 
more to show his head above the fog. 

Soon came the one who had been keeping up the 
brave fight and found himself with the same 
weapons the coward had cast away. With the 
courage of a lion, he seized that which seemed hope¬ 
less to the other fellow and pressed through all 
obstacles and won the goal for which he had started. 

Opportunity is not a piece of “luck” for the 
worthless but a door that is always open to the 
brave and true. 


(68) 




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